Folklife Quarterly FQ 40: Jan 2014 Folklife Quarterly, web version | Page 20

v FQ 40,

Jan 2014 p18

v Clubs & Venues, England Ü West Country Ü West Midlands Ü Other Areas

Birmingham & Worcestershire

THE NORTH/SOUTH DIVIDE

… N. Worcestershire / S. Birmingham that is!
by Bob Bignell,

our Correspondent for N. Worcs / S. Birmingham

® = for details of our

Folklife Members
(underlined)
see Listings or
Festival Diary

Bob is involved in Bromsgrove Folk Club & Bromsgrove Folk Festival, and as a
perfomer in Fairfield, Mamwig, solo; a caller, and in 5 Bar Gait barn dance band!

visit (www.kitchengardencafe.co.uk). They open the year with Colvyn
Quarmby (19/01) Hip Hatchet (05/02) Chris Quinn (16/02) and Andy
White (18/02) whilst Ort Café over in Balsall Heath is one of those
that only advertise up to Christmas. However, having had artists of the
calibre of Jack McNeill and Charlie Heys prior to Christmas, I am sure
that 2014 will be a year to look forward to have a regular look at www.
ortcafe.co.uk for more information about this fascinating project. You
will find art, languages, rooms for hire and all manner of goodies in this
community café. Café Mambo @ Nr 5 (www.cafe-mambo-co.uk) hold
regular open mic nights and also have guests … another web site worth
checking from time to time.
Not exactly a café but then not a pub either (their own description is
Café Bar) is The Tower of Song (www.towerofsong.co.uk) in Cotteridge
on the southern outskirts of Birmingham. Wednesday nights are usually
taken up with a couple of open mic slots for aspiring performers
followed by a full set from an established guest under the heading of
The Rea River Roots Club. There are guests on other nights too and on
Thursdays if blues and the like is your scene you should check out The
Crossroads Blues Club.
As ever I am happy to push the local theatre/arts centre gigs for
those with a tad more money. Our own ® Artrix in Bromsgrove (www.
artrix.co.uk) of which we are very proud, have Keith James playing the
songs of Leonard Cohen on 14th February, Kathryn Roberts and Seam
Lakeman on 19th February and on 8th March The Lindisfarne Story
takes to the stage with Billy Mitchell and Ray Laidlaw, two ever-presents
in the band presenting stripped-back acoustic versions of the band’s
hits. Emily Smith is featured on 30th March. Artrix also run a number of
smaller concerts in their Studio and it is well worth checking these out.
Birmingham’s Symphony Hall (www.thsh.co.uk) has Transatlantic
Sessions on 6th February featuring an amazing line up including Aly
Bain, Jerry Douglas, Shawn Colvin, Tim O’Brien, Julie Fowlis, Kris Drever,
Phil Cunningham, Mike McGoldrick, John McCusker, Donald Shaw and a
host of others! Mind you the tickets are £27.50 plus a booking fee but as
one person has observed, that’s less than £2.00 per super quality artist….
probably worth spoiling yourself just once! On 17th March Symphony
Hall have Clannad with Mary Black whilst at Birmingham Town Hall
on Saturday 15th March you can see Andy McKee with support.
I seem to have run out of space but a final reminder of the excellent
singers clubs in the area … Crystal Folk Club (http://www.freewebs.
com/crystalfolkclub) meet on Fridays, The Lighthouse (http://www.
lighthouse-folk.co.uk) The Plough Folk Club (call Gay on 01562 886
300 for details) meets on Tuesdays.
I know I have almost certainly missed somebody out so, if that is you,
please drop me a line and I will rectify the omission next time round.
Look after one another through the dark winter months and
especially check on the old folks.

Folklife Quarterly is available at Bromsgrove Folk Club.

iya….I trust that you enjoyed an excellent festive period and
didn’t overindulge too much. As I found when I had a job (the
hours were long but the money good….as opposed to retirement where
the hours are excellent but the money is rubbish!) Christmas seems
to be some kind of milestone that people work up to and don’t always
look beyond and so it is with some, repeat some, organisers, whose web
sites and other pu